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Madeleine felt the urge to fade away into the shadows as she heard more and more whispers of Percy’s accomplishments. She had no care at all when it came to such things, for all she knew him for was the relentless taunting he used play upon her. She was gathering the courage to begin stepping away when Percy’s eyes rather suddenly pulled away from Cecil and landed on her. Like a creature caught in a trap, Madeleine froze, unable to move.

“Percy, you remember my youngest sister, Madeleine,” Cecil said, performing the necessary social niceties as he followed Percy’s line of sight.

“I do.” Percy’s smile widened as his dark green eyes flashed with surprised recognition.

Madeleine knew why he was surprised. She had still been quite box-ish the last time that they had seen one another, not yet having grown into herself. “Your Grace,” she murmured, dropping into a small curtsy.

“Come now, Monkey, there is no need for formalities. We were children together, were we not?” Percy reminded her, chuckling and dismissing the social niceties with a wave of his hand.

Madeleine blushed in mortification at his use of her nickname in public. Her nerves began to scatter even more as the whispers behind them grew.

“What did he just call her?”

“Her?”another asked, the person’s tone full of surprise. “Why would he knowher?She’s got the form of a spoiled house cat!”

“Ugh, I would be mortified if someone like him called me Monkey. She’s clearly no threat. I mean, look at her. Someone that handsome would not want someone so…unseemly.”

“Do you not remember me, Madeleine?” Percy asked, seemingly not hearing the whispers around them. His handsome smile only served to heighten her offense.

“Indeed, I do,” she replied through her teeth.

“I cherish the memories that I have with your family. Those were enjoyable times.”

“Not for everyone,” Madeleine muttered under her breath.

“What was that, Monkey?”

Madeleine felt her face flush with anger.

“Are you feeling well? You look quite flushed.” He leaned down to examine her face in concern.

“I am well,” Madeleine replied, attempting to back away from him without divulging anything further about her thoughts.

Percy studied her face dubiously, as if not believing her. Then his eyes flicked beyond her to the crowd that still loomed close by. Madeleine immediately heard the whispers cease, and she did not need to turn away in order to know that they immediately dispersed upon receiving Percy’s look. He was powerful that way. Always had been.

“The room is warm. Shall we find you something to drink?” he offered, his gaze returning to her.

There was a hint of sympathy that took her aback, but without waiting for an answer, he took her elbow in hand and steered her towards the refreshment table.

“I am fully capable of walking on my own without your assistance,” she insisted, removing her elbow from his hand, “It is unseemly for you to take such liberties with my person,Your Grace.”

Her eyes flashed fiery disapproval up at him, and it grew even worse as he let out a deep chuckle. She hated how the sound instantly made her flush grow brighter and made her stomach flip beneath the already tight corset. Percival, though, seemed to pick up on this, and his dark green eyes sparked with challenge as he raised a brow at her mocking use of his moniker.

For a moment, they simply stood there, their own versions of their stubbornness sparking against one another like the slated rock Cecil loved to drone on about. And then he smiled. Not the wide smile he’d given her before. No. This smile was… dangerous.

“You are as stubborn and fiery as you always were,” he observed with amusement. “You know, in all my travels I have never met anyone else quite like you? You speak your mind with passion. It is an admirable trait.Especiallyin a lady.”

Unable to help herself, Madeleine’s brows rose in shock as he turned from her.Did he mean that?Realizing that he had quite literally stopped her in her tracks, she stepped toward him with a start, catching up to him as she kept her question to herself. Surely, he was jesting… surely. Men did not admire such traits. That was well known.

As they moved through the crowd, men and women alike spoke in hushed whispers about the Duke of Greyhall. Percy did not seem to hear them, but Madeleine could make out bits and pieces of their conversations. The two most frequently used words that she overheard from the other women about him were ‘handsome’ and ‘cursed’.

Cursed?Madeleine thought to herself.How is he cursed?She studied the man next to her as he handed her a drink.He seems healthy and strong to me.

Once he had provided her with a drink, Percy returned to his conversation with Cecil, who had followed close behind them. Madeleine continued to study the Duke, to see why people thought he might be cursed, but she did not find any evidence. The one thing she did notice, however, was that he was paying entirely too much attention to her brother’s every word considering the boring topic that Cecil was rattling on about.

He can hear them,she realized, a bout of anger mixed with sympathy overtaking her.He can hear them gossiping about him, and he’s not doing a thing to stop it…

Once again, the wordcursedfiltered through the din to her ears. A slight tightening of the jaw was the only sign on Percy’s face that he knew what was being said about him. He knew, and yet he did nothing.